1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mobile communication terminal, and more particularly to a time setting method and apparatus for use in a mobile communication terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with the development of technology, mobile communication terminals provide users with various convenient functions. In particular, as a roaming service for international travelers is commercialized, there is rising importance to set an internal clock or time of a mobile communication terminal according to the local time zone.
A synchronous mobile communication system periodically broadcasts broadcasting information including time information. Thus, the mobile communication terminal sets an internal time using the broadcast information whenever receiving the broadcast information from the mobile communication system. The mobile communication terminal can provide a user with services using the time information according to local time zone, regardless of a time zone change.
However, an asynchronous mobile communication system does not provide periodic time information, which is different from the synchronous mobile communication system. Thus, asynchronous mobile communication terminals cannot provide users with services using time information according to local time zone or exact current time, when battery power for starting a timer is exhausted or they move to a region of a different time zone.
To address this problem, technology has been proposed which can set an internal time of an asynchronous mobile communication terminal using a conventional short message service (SMS).
The proposed technology is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0023681 entitled “METHOD FOR SYNCHRONIZING THE INTERNAL CLOCK OF A MOBILE RADIO TERMINAL WITH LOCAL TIME”. In U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0023681, when a mobile radio terminal transmits a short message to itself, a short message service center (SMSC) receives the short message, incorporates a time stamp into the short message, and transmits the short message containing the time stamp to the terminal. When receiving the short message, the terminal sets an internal time by comparing the time stamp contained in the short message with time information counted thereby.
In the conventional technology, the users are inconvenienced because they must transmit a short message whenever a time setting process is needed. Further, there is a problem in that unnecessary fees can be charged because the mobile communication terminal must transmit the short message.
Thus, technical development is required to automatically perform a time setting process without interaction by a user and to avoid unnecessary fees when a time setting process is needed in a mobile communication terminal of an asynchronous mobile communication system.